According to the 2024 Education and Training Monitoring Report, only 2% of Greek middle school graduates reach the highest level of proficiency in essential subjects such as mathematics, reading, and science—far below the European Union average.
The findings are particularly alarming in light of the latest OECD PISA assessment, which evaluates student performance globally. In 2022, nearly half of Greek 15-year-olds—47.2%—performed poorly in mathematics, while 37.6% struggled with reading and 37.3% with science. These figures place Greece among the worst performers in the EU, where the average percentage of low-achieving students is significantly lower. At the same time, the proportion of Greek students demonstrating advanced skills remains among the lowest in Europe, raising concerns about the country’s ability to cultivate a competitive workforce.
The report also highlights a worrying trend of declining performance over the past decade. Since 2018, low achievement in mathematics has increased across all socioeconomic backgrounds, with the situation particularly dire for students from disadvantaged families. In 2022, 64% of these students failed to reach basic proficiency in math, up from 52.8% four years earlier. Even among students from more privileged backgrounds, one in four failed to meet minimum standards, a rate significantly above the EU average.
According to the report, these results reflect deeper structural issues in the Greek education system, including underfunding, socioeconomic disparities, limited school autonomy, and difficulties in implementing modern, competency-based teaching methods. Despite efforts to introduce reforms—including lowering the starting age for preschool education, updating curricula, and expanding access to high-quality schools—the overall trend remains negative.
